China as a Middle East Power: The Pros and Cons of a More Assertive and Capable China in the Gulf and Beyond

(Source: Center for a New American Security; issued March 20, 2017)

In this working paper, Kuni Miyake, President of the Foreign Policy Institute think-tank in Tokyo, examines the strategic implications for Japan of China’s increasing influence over sea lines of communication between the Persian Gulf and East Asia.

A political or military shift in favor of Chinese over American control of these sea lines would result in a “strategic nightmare” for Japan, Miyake argues. Presenting four strategic options for Japanese response to this scenario, Miyake contends that ultimately Beijing will decide whether it repeats mistakes made by Imperial Japan in pursuit of air and water control over the Western Pacific, or peacefully buys into the international status quo.

Click here for the full report (10 PDF pages) on the Amazonaws website.